The Holsatia was 3134 tons, 103.6m long x 12.2m wide (339.9ft x 40.0 ft), straight bow, 1 funnel, 2 masts, made of iron, single propeller, 12 knots. Passengers 90 1st class, 130 2nd class, 520 3rd class. Built by Caird & Co, Greenock, Scotland for the German Hamburg-America Line (Now Hapag-Lloyd). Launched on 9 March 1868.
10 June 1868 maiden voyage Hamburg-Southampton-New York.
14 April 1875 last voyage Hamburg-Le Havre-New York, then laid up.
In 1877 compound engines were installed.
On 30 January 1878 resumed the Hamburg-Le Havre-New York service.
20 March 1878 last voyage on that route but having completed only 2 return voyages.
In 1878 sold to the Russian Volunteer Fleet as the ROSSIJA.
In 1894 became the DNESTR for the Russian Navy.
In 1910 renamed BLOKSHIF No5, as a hulk and in October 1916 was scuttled at Trebizond in the Black Sea.
When the ship was launched the line had a lot of surplus tonnage and Hapag ran a subsidiary service calling at France, and missing out Southampton. They advertised a service from Southampton but passengers had to get a ferry from Southampton to France and it was not very popular. The Franco-Prussian war of 1870 stopped Hapag's sailings for several weeks. A rival line Adler (Eagle) Line started in 1873, and Hapag bought them out in 1877 which almost bankrupted the company. The Holsatia was laid up for 2 years and with three other sisters was sold to Russia in 1878.
Source: Passenger Ship History Service